Former Smiths frontman Morrissey has accused the Royal Family of "staggering arrogance" over the death of the nurse duped by a prank call to the hospital treating the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge.

An inquest today heard that Jacintha Saldanha, 46, a mother-of-two from Bristol, was found hanging in her nurses' quarters by a colleague and a security guard last Friday.

The singer told a New Zealand television show he regarded the royals as "a dictatorship".

He said: "There is no blame placed at Kate Middleton who was in that hospital, as far as I can see, for absolutely no reason.

"She feels no shame about the death of this woman, she is saying nothing about the death of this poor woman. The arrogance of the British royals is staggering, absolutely staggering."

Morrissey, who released an album called The Queen Is Dead while with The Smiths, said there was something about Kate's hospital stay that "doesn't ring true".

He said: "Does she have a health condition?

"Is it anorexia or is it a pregnancy? We don't know, but what is the health condition? I mean, morning sickness already? So much hoo-ha and then suddenly as bright as a button - as soon as this poor woman dies she's out of hospital."

The singer, who counts Prime Minister David Cameron among his fans, hit the headlines earlier this year when he said the Falkland Islands belonged to Argentina.

Morrissey has consistently courted controversy throughout his career, criticising fellow singers and including a track called Margaret On The Guillotine - in which he mused about the execution of Baroness Thatcher - on his solo debut album in 1988.